Every Day Can Be The First Day

02 May Every Day Can Be The First Day

This morning, I sent my 10 year old and 6 year old daughters off to their first day of fifth grade and first grade in school respectively. They were up at 6:30am, showered and dressed by 7, and ready for school by 7:30. They insisted upon being taken to the school bus stop at 8:02, 20 minutes early, “just-in-case,” and at 8:28am, when the bus finally arrived six minutes late, they headed off to school, as excited as they’d been at 6:30am when they had woken up.

Sure, there were some nervous jitters from some of the kids at the bus stop (and some of the parents!) But for all of the parents and the children at the bus stop this morning, there was excitement, energy, and a positive spirit in the air. The first day of school represents a new start – a milestone- a great reason to be excited.

For American football fans, this past Sunday was perhaps equally exciting – the first day of regular season games in the NFL. Every team begins at 0-0, tied for first place, and whether you’re a fan of a perennial champion like the New England Patriots, or a perennial underdog like the New York Jets, hope springs eternal.

As I write this, heading into the office after that magical first-day-of-school-dropoff, I’m filled with energy and excitement. I’m not the only one. My Facebook feed is filled with pictures of kids’ first days of school, and updates from proud, excited parents. But why should that excitement be restricted to the first day of school, or the first day of the NFL, or the first day of your new job, or the first day with a new client?

How can we capture that “first day energy” and apply it to our attitude, each and every day? How can we go into work feeling refreshed, feeling excited, and feeling hopeful for what’s to come?

After all, every day does bring us new challenges, new adventures, and new reasons for hope. Every day, is in fact, the first day of the rest of our lives.

So I’m challenging myself to capture the way I’m feeling right now as a proud parent on the first day of school, and apply it to my life and career every day. I’m going to find a reason to be as excited as my kids were this morning – tomorrow, the next day, and the next day.

Everybody loves “the first day.” How can you make everyday “the first day”?

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Now it’s your turn. What was your best “first day” you can remember? How will you make everyday like that “first day”? In what ways can you apply that “first day” energy to your daily routine? Let me know in the comment section below!